This invention relates to floating plant habitat. In particular, the invention relates to a floating wetland system or plant habitat.
Emergent aquatic plants can grow only in relatively shallow waters, because the stems of the plants must be able to extend from the bottom of the water body up through the water column into the air. When the water depth exceeds the maximum possible stem length for a particular plant species, the plant cannot grow at this location. In other locations, although the water depth is suitable, the water clarity is poor, thus preventing light from reaching deep enough to start the plant growth.
In many instances, it is desirable to grow emergent aquatic plants in waters that are too deep or too dark to naturally sustain the plants. Floating planters or floating islands provide a means of growing emergent aquatic plants in waters that are otherwise unsuitable for bottom-rooted plant growth.
Background art floating planters typically have a plant growth medium that extends above waterline. This is not a natural situation because the stems of naturally occurring aquatic plants typically emerge through open water into the air. When aquatic plants are grown in background art floating planters, the plant stems emerge through the planter's growth medium, thereby creating an unnatural appearance for the aquatic plant habitat. In addition to their unnatural appearance, many background art floating planters are constructed of a relatively complex and expensive combination of materials, making these products too expensive for large-scale applications that cover many square feet of water surface.
The background art is characterized by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,224,292; 5,528,856; 5,766,474; 5,980,738; 6,086,755; and 6,555,219 and U.S. Patent Application Nos. 2003/0051398; 2003/0208954; 2005/0183331; the disclosures of which patents and patent applications are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.